HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Thank you all for taking the time to read my blogs; I appreciate all of you very much! Today is party day for my students. The last hour of the day is reserved for passing out valentine's, playing games together as a class, and of course, the dreaded sugary treats. I noticed my fellow blogger, Paula, wrote that her school just recently has done away with classroom treats to help tackle the battle of children and obesity. What a wonderful idea! If anything, I wish the party would have healthier selections. I know it sounds crazy but when I walk down the hallways of my school I can literally smell all the sugar. Once I walk into the many classrooms I'm overpowered with the smell of sugary icing and salty snacks. Kids are drinking everything from high-sugar Capri Suns, to cupcakes, cookies, candy, cheese puffs, Dorito's and an occasional grape or two (which not many of the students even select). For many of my students eating during the day is the only meals they get so I know they look forward to any kind of celebration because it means extra food. That's why I would even be happy for sugar in moderation: one cupcake or cookie and the rest be fruits and vegetables. How can more schools get out of this horrible "tradition" that celebration means high-sugar and high-fat?